Weekend Wanders: A Perfect Sunday in East London
Your weekend plans are sorted! These are my favorite things to do on a laid-back Sunday in Hackney.
As this week’s post is coming out on a Friday afternoon, I thought it would be fitting to share with you one of my favorite things to do on the weekend. Whether you live in London and are looking for a fun day out, or are visiting and want a taste of a different area of the city, this itinerary will check all of your boxes.
London has endless opportunities for weekend exploration. That’s one of my favorite things about living here! On any given day there is something to experience that you’ve never experienced before, no matter how long you’ve lived here.
Heading east to Broadway Market and Columbia Road Flower Market is my ideal way to spend a Sunday in London. This area will give you a great, local feel for East London as you come across various cafes, restaurants, boutique shops and markets. You'll go through London Fields park, which has a beautiful wildflower field and is usually packed to the brim with people out enjoying the day, and pass over the canal where you can see some of London's renowned canal boats.
No matter how many times I follow this itinerary, I discover something new - and something I love even more than experiencing new places, is returning to places that I love in order to get to know them on an even deeper level.
Here is my itinerary for a Sunday well-spent in East London.
Start your day with breakfast at one of these great cafes in London Fields.
Pophams - London Fields
Pophams is one of my absolute favorite bakeries in London. I especially love the Bacon & Maple, Ham & Cheese Croissant and Pain au Chocolat. They also have weekend specials and great coffee, all served in beautiful ceramic plates and mugs. This location in particular turns into a pasta restaurant at night and also has a home store, specially curated by Pophams, next door.
E5 Bakehouse
Keep the tour of East London's amazing cafes going with a stop at E5 Bakehouse, set in a railway arch. Alongside great pastries, cakes and sourdough breads, they have a great food menu with heartier options. Everything is made with organic, locally-sourced flour. There is a small market with at the front of the cafe so this would be a great place to pick up some picnic essentials to bring to London Fields.
The Snapery East
Another good stop, Snapery East is also set in a railway arch around the corner from E5 Bakehouse. Their menu has pastries, sandwiches and other brunchy type plates and the seating is outside on a covered terrace.
Continue through London Fields park towards Broadway & Netil Markets, stopping off first at Netil Market.
There are a handful of food stands and shops at Netil Market and you can’t go wrong with any of them. Paradox has excellent coffee and Wingnut Wines is nice for a glass of wine. Collect your beverage and meal of choice and grab one of the tables at the center of the market to enjoy your meal al fresco.
Now, head to Broadway Market and walk south, exploring the various market vendors and shops along the way.
There are sooo many great spots on, and near, Broadway Market. Not only is the street lined with restaurants, cafes, pubs and shops, but on Saturdays and Sundays there is a street market. Some places that I’d recommend checking out:
Broadway Books: independent bookshop
Climpson & Sons: coffee
House of Vintage: vintage clothes
Oren Delicatessen: Mediterranean deli, wine shop & bakery
Rites: vintage & rental clothes
Shrine to the Vine: wine shop
Sune: Modern European restaurant
Wilder Botanics: holistic beauty products
Once you're through Broadway Market, continue towards Columbia Road Flower Market.
Columbia Road Flower Market is where locals and visitors alike come on Sundays to purchase plants and flowers, with better deals towards the end of the day (2:30/3pm). There are some nice small shops that line Columbia Road and I also suggest veering off on to Ezra Street to check out Oyster Boy, a hole-in-the-wall oyster & bloody mary spot, and Campania (I haven’t been yet but friends have said good things). Brawn is a cozy wine bar and El Ganso has nice tapas. For shopping, I recommend checking out these spots in addition to many others on the street!
Hackney Essentials: grocery & homewares
Straw: homewares
Studio Wylder: women’s clothing made in London
Vout: vintage & re-worked clothing
Whether you are a London local or visiting, I hope this itinerary sparks a fun adventure for you. Save it for a sunny Sunday (fingers crossed for this weekend!) and don’t forget to bring a tote with you to hold all of your collected treats and finds. I’d love to know if you have any favorite spots that haven’t been mentioned here or if there is another part of London you’d be interested in an itinerary for!
Have a lovely weekend,
Julianna x
You’ve perfectly captured the essence of London, and through your words, I felt transported back to the city. I used to live in Shoreditch, just a street away from Columbia Road Flower Market, and my weekends often revolved around London Fields, Broadway Market or Victoria Park. I absolutely loved this post — and I’m also adding a couple of the spots you shared to my list, as I’ve yet to visit them. Thank you for sharing and for making me time-travel a little <3
Love this! Hello fellow London explorer/ foodie writer! ☺️💕 I’m defo adding The Snapery East to my list as I hadn’t heard of that yet ne